- Date
- March 2, 2010, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lowell, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N103DGSchulke Avid Magnum
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100302030119A
- Case key
- 75486
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control while landing on a slush-covered runway due to inadequate maintenance of the airplane brakes by maintenance personnel.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was returning to the departure airport after having flown for approximately two hours at various cruise altitudes. The pilot attempted a landing on runway 30 (2,394 feet by 48 feet), which was slush-covered. During the landing rollout, the airplane "swerved hard right" and into a snowbank, where it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included damage to the wing ribs, wing trailing edge, and rudder. A weather reporting station about 9 miles from the accident site recorded variable winds at 4 knots at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed that the brake pin lubrication had dried out and the right brake caliper would not release.
Factual narrative
The pilot was returning to the departure airport after having flown for approximately two hours at various cruise altitudes. The pilot attempted a landing on runway 30 (2,394 feet by 48 feet), which was slush-covered. During the landing rollout, the airplane "swerved hard right" and into a snowbank, where it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included damage to the wing ribs, wing trailing edge, and rudder. A weather reporting station about 9 miles from the accident site recorded variable winds at 4 knots at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed that the brake pin lubrication had dried out and the right brake caliper would not release.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103DG
- Reported as
- Schulke Avid Magnum
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6M
- Airframe hours
- 589
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- D&R Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 1, 2009
- Departed
- 24C · Lowell, MI
- Destination
- 24C · Lowell, MI
- Airport
- 24C · Lowell City Airport, runway 30, 2,394 × 48 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 14, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 300 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 525 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N103DG · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.